Client Hall of Fame Interview with Shannon Sankar

by: Yuri Elkaim

Adam: Good afternoon and welcome to another episode of Total Wellness Consulting Client Hall of Fame. My name once again is Adam Elkaim and today on the line, I have a very special guest with me and the newest member of our Total Wellness Consulting Client Hall of Fame, Shannon Sankar. And Shannon, how are you doing today?

Shannon: I’m doing great, Adam. Thanks so much for calling.Adam: Oh, it’s my pleasure. And welcome to our hall of fame as well. We are definitely happy to have you as part of our number. So I’m just going to go through a couple of questions here with you, Shannon. So, before you found Yuri and the company, what did your life look like?

Shannon: Well, basically I was just looking for a way to start some sort of workout program. So, I purchased a treadmill, and I was spending about an hour a day, every day, on the treadmill, basically fairly aimlessly walking on the treadmill. Kind of progressing a little bit to a jog, but I had no real focus. I really was working out just for the sake of working out, and I really just wasn’t sure where I was going, or didn’t really have a goal in mind. And, over time, that became very monotonous, and I just was starting to feel frustrated, and I was dreading my workout time and looking for something I could get inspired about and start to actually look forward to the workout instead of dreading it so much.

Adam: Yeah, definitely, and you’re not the only one who actually has those issues when they first start working out, or get a treadmill or join a gym…

Shannon: Right.

Adam: …They go there and they are like “where do I start, where do I end?”…

Shannon: Yeah.

Adam: …You know, it’s like they’re aimlessly working out with no real goals, or anything to really keep them going, I guess.

Shannon: Exactly, that was exactly my problem.

Adam: Yeah, so when you found Yuri, and I know you purchased several of our treadmill trainer programs, I think all of them, actually…

Shannon: Yes, I did! I’m a big fan of the treadmill trainer programs. That was actually how I found out about Yuri and everything that you guys do. I basically just did a search for treadmill programs, and then I just purchased, I think I started with volume two. And fell in love with them. I mean, they just added so much variety and completely changed the way I was working out on the treadmill, and then led me to running in general, from going through that process, through those treadmill trainer programs.

Adam: That’s awesome, Shannon. Now, when you found the treadmill trainer programs, were you scared, or skeptical, at first? When you first were introduced to Yuri and the program? How did you feel when you first started them?

Shannon: Well, I wasn’t really sure exactly what to expect. I knew the basic concept of interval training, so I was able to sort of wrap my head around what the workouts would entail, but I just wasn’t sure how I would be able to fit that in with my percentages. You know, Yuri will go through your run at 80 or 90 percent of your maximum pace and I just wasn’t really sure what my pace was going to be. But I was able to customize it and use it exactly tailored to where I was at the time, and then throughout the process my 80% was getting faster and faster and faster and I was able to, through that process, really start to feel the reward of accomplishing something and achieving goals that I could set for myself.

Adam: That’s great, and I think Yuri mentions on several of the workouts that everyone’s percentages are different…

Shannon: Exactly.

Adam: …so my percentage may different from yours, or whatever the case may be. One way, just for the clients listening in or the guests, one way of actually determining that as well, what I do personally with the treadmill trainer programs is to find out my maximum speed, I actually do the running outside for the first couple times, just so I can see what my fastest level would be, and then I kind of incorporate that on the treadmill after. So just a little tip for whoever is listening.

Shannon: Oh, sure.

Adam: So, now, when you first started the workouts, I know treadmill trainer volume two is a tough one, now, were you tested? What were some of your initial challenges, besides I guess the running percentages?

Shannon: Definitely the challenge was to complete the entire workout. The other great thing about the treadmill trainer program is that Yuri breaks it down into sections. So you’ll start with the warm-up, and then you’ll go to your first challenge, your second, and maybe a third depending on the actual workout, and then your cool-down. And my initial challenge was to complete whatever program that was in its entirety from the warm-up all the way to the cool-down.

Adam: Nice. Very cool. And was there anything that really helps you overcome the challenges of going through all the different aspects of the workout?

Shannon: Yeah.

Adam: Was it Yuri’s voice mentoring you on the workout, or what was it?

Shannon: Yes, all of that. Definitely the consistency of keeping up with it, and then also the variety that’s available through the treadmill trainer program, so you don’t get bored and you are motivated to continue it and through that consistency you start to build the endurance that’s necessary. And the workouts are so much shorter, I suppose, than some of what people may expect. With the exception of some of the longer runs, within 45 minutes, tops, you can be finished with it for the entire day if you choose to do it that way. And I think that’s motivation as well, to know that you can do anything for 30 to 45 minutes. So, though I was challenged, I knew that I was going to be able to accomplish that. And then definitely you’re exactly correct about Yuri’s motivations throughout the program. He always seems to intuitively know when to interject a little story, a little anecdotal saying, or to give you kind of the time, so you don’t feel like you’ve got a daunting amount ahead of you, but rather you feel like, “OK, I’m at the end of this interval.” And he just always seems to know exactly when to chime in and give you what you need to keep going.

Adam: That’s so true. I think in the third section of volume two, for example, I think just at the right time he says “never give up,” and he just keeps on saying it. So it’s like, OK, you know you’re about to die, continuing running at that point, but you can still give the extra two or three minutes. Just hearing him on your headphones kind of guiding you and motivating you through the workout which was essential to my success with the program as well. So that’s great, Shannon. Now, what was your ultimate reward or success from using these programs? Was this a weight loss thing for you? Was it increasing your cardiovascular endurance? What was it exactly?

Shannon: Well, it was kind of a combination of all of that. Definitely, I wanted to control my weight and get into shape. I had never been a runner, I had never really been an athletic person, or really anyone like I said before that worked out with any sort of real focus. And through the process of the treadmill trainer, also Fitter You Fitness for me, I really started to develop a better sense of being functionally strong. I live in a three story home, and I can tell that through the years of working through Yuri’s program that just carrying a heavy laundry basket from the basement to the top level of my home, I’m not winded. I don’t feel like the weight I’m carrying is too much for me. I’ve, you know, benefited tremendously from just getting in shape. And then also, I set a goal for myself for a series of half-marathons that I run annually in my community. And I watched my times get faster and faster through the years. I’ve been able to incorporate the treadmill trainer into my training for the half-marathons, and get that sense of reward, feedback from the numbers from the race events too.

Adam: That’s amazing. It’s nice to have goals like that too, to work towards. It’s just, I think it’s fundamental to really achieving any goal you set for yourself. You know, just having that 5k or 10k or half marathon race three months ahead, kind of keeps you motivated to do the workouts on a, you know, daily or bi-daily basis as well, which is nice.

Shannon: Exactly, and it does give you that self-confidence when you start to see that you’re achieving your goals. And like Yuri always says, success breeds success, so not only in the aspect of your workouts and your physical fitness, but in other areas of your life, you start to feel like “OK, I can accomplish these types of challenges, and this is tough and it’s hard to get through, but I know that I can do it.” Because I’ve done, you know, these other things that you have that are tangible measurements of where you’ve been and where you’re at now.

Adam: That’s exactly where I was going to go with my next question, actually, Shannon. Now, by accomplishing your goals that you’ve done in your fitness life, has that been able to transpire any of your confidence or successes in other areas of your life? Whether that be business, relationships for that matter?

Shannon: It has. You know, I kind of touched on that, and then also, I own my own business, so that’s always a little bit scary. You know, I work from home, I’m a graphic designer, and I’m not the type of person that, you know, maybe sales doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me. But, my self-esteem, or being able to handle those types of challenges, and to feel confident to talk to clients, and to sell my services, and to get my name out there, I’m a lot more apt to feel comfortable doing those types of things because I’ve got a foundation that has been built in part by these workouts.

Adam: That’s great. And one thing we really want to do with providing the services that we do is really empower people to live the best life they can. So if we’re able to help them out in health and wellness aspects of their life, and they can, you know, just like yourself and myself feel more confidence in their abilities, doing that really transpires in all areas of the life. And we’ve noticed that not only with yourself, but also with other client hall of fame members as well, or just the average Joe. Once you’re able to actually master and, you know, be successful with one element, whether that be running a 5k race for the first time or whatever it may be, you know, people learn from that and are able to take that confidence in other aspects of their life. I’m happy you were able to experience that as well, Shannon.

Shannon: Thank you.

Adam: Now, Shannon, were you able to inspire others, maybe around your circle, with the successes that you’ve achieved, from your physical fitness successes?

Shannon: Yes! I actually have. I’ve had a number of friends that were former runners that just over the years had kind of gotten out of it, and through me kind of obsessing about it and talking about it and telling them about the programs that I was doing with Yuri, definitely they became interested. They saw that I was enthusiastic about it, that it wasn’t torture to me, that I was actually enjoying it. And it definitely inspired them to follow suit. And I actually had a few friends run some of these half marathons with me. And then my husband, who is an avid non-exerciser, has really enjoyed doing the Fitter You Fitness programs with me because of the time constraint of it.

The fact that in 25 or 35 minutes you’re done, he’s amazed by that. Because we had tried some other programs that were the popular DVD series that are out there that are anywhere from an hour to an hour and 30 minutes in length, and that just feels so time consuming and you have to set aside that amount of time every single day for six days a week. And I know that that was not something that he was interested in. But in feeling like he could be done with the whole process within 25 minutes and then get on with his day, that actually made it seem attainable to him, that he could actually set that goal for himself to commit to doing the strength training workouts through the Fitter You Fitness with me, for two or three times a week. And he always says, you know, “I liked that Yuri workout, the functional strength workout,” or something with the six reps or something like that. There’s something within that series that works for everyone.

Adam: Definitely. And one of our beliefs with the company is that instead of training three hours a day, it’s all about training smartly, because we realize that everyone has busy schedules these days. People don’t have time to commit two or three hours at a gym every day or every other day or whatever the case may be. So, we understand, too, that there are workouts out there that you can do in 25 to 40 minutes where you can actually have better benefits from the exercise than just running on a treadmill for two straight hours, or doing some circuit training workouts in the gym for two hours. So, you know, training effectively and smartly is something that we definitely preach. It’s definitely something that our programs do provide for our guests as well, which is awesome. Now, Shannon, I just wanted to thank you once again for taking the time to have the call with us today. And once again, thank you and thanks for joining us on our client hall of fame call.

Shannon: Oh, thank you again so much. I just really appreciate all that you guys do to produce these programs and make them available. So thank you.